Batman: The Animated Series' Penguin Broke Our Hearts

Welcome to Adventure(s) Time's forty-first installment, examining classic animated series and their tie-in comic books. Gravity Falls Poland requested this pairing, sending us all the way back to the debut issue of The Batman Adventures. Then, an early Penguin appearance in Batman: The Animated Series. If you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comments.

It's possible some have forgotten Batman was conceived as a follow-up to the release of 1992's Batman Returns, which featured Penguin and Catwoman as the main villains. This required direct approval from director Tim Burton when it came to Penguin and Catwoman's designs, and some concern within Warner Brothers about the cartoon possibly veering too far from the merchandised images of the villains, images that would be everywhere in 1992.

Bruce Timm has indicated he wasn't overly thrilled with this process, but found Tim Burton easy to work with. (His past as an animator giving Burton an understanding of the creators' intent.) Ultimately, the Batman Returns influence on the series is responsible for Penguin's long hair and a blonde Catwoman. Neither element survived the show's revamp in 1997.

Since Penguin and Catwoman were the big guns that year, it's understandable they're the villains for the first two issues of Batman Adventures. (And why the preview episode of Batman: The Animated Series starred Catwoman.)

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With the edict to create a tie-in miniseries for the new cartoon, editor Scott Peterson searched for a perfect creative team. The original plan was for six issues, with a writer-artist team handling three issues each. Peterson hired Kelley Puckett, a Batman editor who'd consulted during the drafts of the original sixty-five scripts, as writer. Ty Templeton, a respected comic book artist who "worked on some of the (Batman) character designs" agreed to pencil the first three issues. Rick Burchett rounded out the creative team, inking Templeton's pencils. Even though the cover credits a mysterious "Scott," it's Burchett.

Per Peterson's text piece in the debut issue, Puckett actually co-plotted an episode of Batman: The Animated Series along with Denny O'Neil. "The Demon's Quest" two-parter is credited to O'Neil, but not Puckett. Perhaps some union regulation prevented Puckett from receiving his credit? Or did Denny O'Neil and Kelly Puckett write an early script that ended, like many others, in a drawer during the early development of the series?

Regarding Peterson's statement about Ty Templeton working on character designs on Batman, Templeton was indeed hired to work on the show early on. According to his blog, however, he "drew nothing and wrote nothing" during his two weeks on Batman.

Not that this diminishes Templeton's contributions to this interpretation of Batman. Templeton is the preeminent Adventures creator. Aside from being the first artist to adapt the look to comics, he ended up writing a good third of the Adventures canon. This includes the final issue of Batman Adventures in 2004, a brilliant piece entitled "Fear Itself." And when DC decided to revive the Adventures concept to tie-in with the Batman & Harley Quinn film, who did they call? Ty Templeton and Rick Burchett, the guys who were there at the very beginning.

So, at the dawn of this new era of Batman, we begin with someone watching a TV show about Batman.

Imagine that. More pedantic fans will notice the TV isn't in black and white, a rule for the first iteration of the series. That's part of the fun of the early issues; the rules barely existed. Some designs look right at home in this world, others don't. Recurring characters like Summer Gleeson are missing, while "Valerie Vapid" is a popular Gotham TV host. There's also a much younger-looking Bruce Wayne, brooding inside a proto-Batcave.

The characterization of the Penguin also goes back to the earliest plans for the series. So early, they're in the series bible and nowhere else. We're introduced to the Penguin as a pseudo-intellectual, lecturing his flunkies on proper vocabulary. The joke is, Penguin doesn't know what he's talking about. This follows the bible's description of the Penguin as being more concerned about the perception of education than in actual reading. The finished series never went in this direction. In fact, actor Paul Williams' portrayal of the character implies a genuine intelligence.

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What does stay true throughout the canon is the Penguin's desired acceptance into high society. It's central to the plot of the first issue, "Penguin's Big Score." After receiving help from the Joker, Penguin begins a robbery spree. Only Batman suspects he's the culprit, while Penguin begins his flirtation with Gotham society. The money he's stolen buys Penguin access to the best parties, and respectable charity events.

When Bruce Wayne arrives at an auction and outbids Penguin, he soon responds by raiding the Wayne Financial Institution. Waiting for him, shock of the year, is Batman. And after dispatching Penguin's guards, he coerces the fink into confessing on tape. Penguin returns to jail, while the Joker is oddly pleased. (A tie-in for the next two issues. Continued storylines are another element soon dropped in Adventures.)

Penguin's society-envy isn't forgotten on the animated series. Debuting on February 8, 1993, "Birds of a Feather" is directed by Frank Paur, featuring a story by Chuck Menville and teleplay by Brynne Stephens. (Animation writer Chuck Menville was the father of voice actor Scott Menville. Scott voiced Robin on Teen Titans, and the TAS-related videogame Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu.) Animation comes from Dong Yang, doing a fairly unremarkable job. Some of the character acting, courtesy of Ronnie del Carmen, is however impressive.

Utilizing one of the series' occasional time jumps, "Birds" opens with Batman foiling a Penguin scheme, sending him to prison. Dissolve then to the future, the day he's freed. Penguin expects a lavish welcome immediately upon release. A surly bus driver greets him instead. Perhaps a surprise party from his criminal friends? His only visitor is Batman, warning him to keep his beak clean.

There's a hint Penguin will take Batman's advice. Meanwhile, bored socialite Veronica Vreeland is coaxed into inviting Penguin out on a date. Veronica and her friend (manservant?) Pierce seek to gain the Penguin's trust, offering him a coming out party to the Gotham elite.

What Penguin doesn't realize is that he's the butt of the joke. After the Joker livened up an event last year with a robbery, Veronica is hoping Penguin will similarly entertain her friends.

What she doesn't expect is for Penguin to snap to her defense when they're accosted by street punks. Even Batman, who keeps conveniently popping up here, can't believe what he's seeing. Although Penguin is an embarrassing date at times, Veronica starts to develop some affection for him. And Penguin, so smitten with her, has lawfully acquired a gold pennant as a gift.

Unfortunately for Veronica, Penguin happens to walk in on Pierce ridiculing him, exposing the plan. From there, Penguin's back to his life of crime, kidnapping Veronica and threatening an opera-themed death for his captive. Batman intervenes, the outcome is predictable, and Penguin is hauled away. When Veronica apologizes to Penguin, safely in custody, he instructs her to blame society. High society.

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The Wrap-Up

Design-y

Templeton likely didn't have much to go on when penciling this issue. Even so, the art largely fits the animated world. For example, his interior for the imaginatively named Wayne Financial Institution is similar to designer Ted Blackman's work.

Continuity Notes

One of the cartoon's few direct Batman Returns references is Penguin's massive ducky craft. It appears in "Birds of a Feather" and a few other episodes. (Some take this to mean the animated Penguin shares an origin with the movie Penguin.) "Birds" also marks socialite Veronica Vreeland's debut.

Hey, I Know that Voice

Noted television actress Marilu Henner voices Veronica, while accomplished songwriter and actor Paul Williams portrays the Penguin.

"Huh?" Moments

"Penguin's Big Score" has Penguin personally bankrupting the owners of the banks he's robbed. This assumes that major banks, even in the early '90s, were chiefly owned by individuals and not corporations. Individuals with no insurance, apparently. Also, "Birds of a Feather" establishes the Penguin as socially clueless, embarrassing Veronica in public repeatedly. This doesn't fit with his previous portrayals, or even the rest of the episode. The animated Penguin is well-read, and would seem to understand basic table manners.

Approved By Broadcast Standards & Practices

In retrospect, it's odd the censors had no issue with the Penguin's cigarettes. Never showing any actual smoke, and keeping the cigarette inside a holder, might've lessened the offense.

Over the Kiddies’ Heads

References to John James Audubon paintings and operas like I Pagliacci likely didn't connect with the bulk of the audience. The idea of everyone, even the butt of the joke, having feelings is a core theme of the opera.

Battle of the Roman Noses

When it comes to sentiment, the animated series usually comes out on top. Even the best comic will have a difficult time competing with high-caliber voice acting and an orchestral score. Also, "Penguin's Big Score" is more about the novelty of Penguin's scheme than the villain's motivations for wanting this public acceptance. "Birds" doesn't go as deep into the Penguin's psyche as other villain-centric episodes, but it does treat him as a genuine character this time.

Credit to the comic, also, for presenting a charming, engaging Penguin. Coming off Batman Returns, it's a miracle readers weren't subjected to Burton's foul sewer monster. This Penguin is a bit of a goof, but still fun. It's a tightly plotted story, hinting at the creative team's talents. As the issues go on, Puckett will embrace this format. His "shorthand" narrative approach to these one-issue stories holds up incredibly well. The Adventures line could've been a throwaway. Tie-in books were dismissed as "not real," as kid's stuff. Puckett, Templeton, and Burchett proved all doubters wrong.

That’s all for now. Thanks to Gravity Falls Poland for the recommendation. If you have any picks, just leave a comment or contact me on Twitter.